To eat meat or not to eat meat? That is not the only question

We all know the planet would benefit big time if everyone suddenly pledged to go vegan. But upholding those high standards can be so hard most of us don't even try.

Brian Kateman, author of The Reducetarian Solution, says there's another way to eat for the good of all: Simply cut back on the amount of meat and dairy you eat. Try Meatless Mondays and Meatless Fridays, for instance. Or swap in soy milk for regular on your lattes and spend your dairy quota on some really good cheese. It's not the huge win to be gained by cutting out meat and dairy, but as he argues, something is better than nothing.

More importantly, people are much more willing to embrace what Kateman has dubbed reducetarianism. It’s an appealing concept because, as Kateman says, “not everyone is willing or able to follow an "all-or-nothing" diet.”

Takeaway: If you don’t want to cut out all animal products for good, try some of Kateman’s suggestions. See if you can do Meatless Monday, Vegan Before Six, or Weekday Vegetarian, and take the reducetarian pledge.